I welcome the discussion. I don't get many opportunities to discuss Whittemore myself.

You may be interested in reading a discussion of Sinai Tapestry which is on the Atlantic Online Books & Literature forum. The Virtual Reading Group chose to discuss Sinai Tapestry in July 2003. Follow the link below to read the thread.

Anne

--Previous Message--: Thanks again, Anne. : I often raise these questions with friends : when brainstorming ideas for research and : study, but, as none of my literary peers or : professors are at all familiar with EW-except : for the individual who introduced me to : him-never do I receive answers or assistance : with my ideas; insightful responses are quite : refreshing. I look forward to continuing : healthy Q & A. : Sincerely, : Joseph : --Previous Message-- : Joseph, : There was break of about 5 years between the : publication of Jerusalem Poker (1978) and : Nile Shadows (1983). Perhaps that has : something to do with the shift from magic : realism to a more realist view of events. : Nile Shadows and Jericho Mosaic do contain : magic realist passages and the characters are : rather fantastical and of mythic proportions. : The books aren't in least conventional : despite being less fantastic. : One can only guess at why this shift : occurred. By all reports, Whittemore had : planned the whole Quartet before sitting down : to write it. : The two later books are dealing with : relatively recent historical periods and : Whittemore himself was older and maybe : soberer. : Bletchley who becomes Bell is obviously : representative of the spy masters of WWII and : not necessarily a self portrait of the : author. It is curious that all the spy : masters are crippled in some way. Why? Is it : a comment by Whittemore on the psychological : effects of being an undercover agent? : As for Strongbow's vision of a chaotic and : orderless world being a reflection of EW's : own dialectical approach to the world, I : really haven't thought about it so can't help : you there. : Perhaps Sam (welcome to the JD Message Board, : Sam) can enlighten us as he obviously was : personally acquainted with EW. : I for one would be fascinated to hear more of : what Whittemore's thoughts about the world, : the universe and everything were. Reading his : books one can only speculate. : Anne : : --Previous Message-- : Anne, : I appreciate your prompt, courteous, and : insightful response. As thesis research will : begin zestfully in the spring, I certainly : hope that contact between us will continue. : If you do not find my potentially substantial : inquiries cumbersome, I will undoubtedly seek : you as a reference point when I find myself : in a rut or needing some guidance for a piece : of research. : Two questions: 1) There is a noticeable shift : between Jerusalem Poker and Nile Shadows from : fantastical realism to realism. That is to : say, Nile Shadows and Jericho Mosaic do not : maintain the same aura of fantasy and myth as : Tapestry and Poker. This shift, to me, is : intentional, but for what reason? 2) : Strongbow's Levantine Sex (not too) subtely : attacks several modern dialectical thinkers : from the 19th century: Freud, Marx, even : Nietzsche to a degree. Is Strongbow's vision : of a chaotic and orderless world a reflection : of EW's own dialectical approach to the : world? If so, wouldn't this ideal (chaos and : disorder) contradict EW's ideal Middle East, : since the co-existence of Christians, : Muslims, Jews would require a most severe : degree of order and structure. : Thanks again, : Joseph : PS. A third question: If you find Bell of : Jericho Mosaic more representative of EW, : would Bletchley of Nile Shadows also be : representative of EW, as they are, I assume, : the same character? : : --Previous Message-- : Joseph, : Thanks for your kind comments on the site and : welcome to the Edward Whittemore Appreciation : Society as you obviously are a member. : Regarding the books that may have influenced : Edward Whittemore, it is not at all clear : what would have been on his bookshelf. : In Tom Wallace's memoir there is some : reference to Whittemore's taste for spy : novels as in his favorite writers were Le : Carre and Greene. : There is a reference to Lawrence Durrell's : Alexandria Quartet in Jerusalem Poker where : Nubar Wallenstein is described as having a : taste for bad poetry and particularly the : poems of Arnauti. Arnauti is the author of a : book called "Moeurs" in the novel : Justine. : As for Stern representing Whittemore, even : though he is the expression of Whittemore : dreams for the Middle East, I think he is : just that, the physical representative of : those ideals. : I've always thought that Bell (the old spy : master)in Jericho Mosaic is more Whittemore. : Abu Musa is styled on one of Whittemore's : friends, Musa Farhi & a further hint is : that Moses the Ethiopian eunuch was probably : dreamed up from where Whittemore lived in : Jerusalem - next to a Ethiopian monastery in : Ethiopia St. : It is certainly fascinating searching out : where all his characters come from. : Your mention of Tom Robbins reminds me of an : email I received several years ago. Tom : Robbins is a Whittemore fan and has been : influenced by Whittemore rather than the : other way around. : I wish you well with your thesis and would be : delighted to render any assistance I can. : I could ask Whittemore's old editor if he : remembers Whittemore's taste in Literature. : Regards, : Anne : : : --Previous Message-- : Anne, : Kudos to your site! I was only recently : introduced to the brilliance of Whittemore : and now am seeking to dedicate my first : profound endeavor-M.A. Thesis-in literary : scholarship to popularizing EW in the : contemporary American canon. Since the : beginning of this year I have easily and : fanatically plowed through the Quartet twice. : Actually, the second trip through the novels : was more of an archaeological dig. Your site : has certainly been helpful, especially with : discovering which authors and novels EW may : have kept on his own bookshelf. : While I commonly see references and : comparisons to Robbins, which, to me, is : something of an insult, Pynchon, though EW is : less intellectually pompous, and Vonnegut, I : wonder if you have any further insights to : authors or novels that may have influenced : EW? Garcia-Marquez? Faulkner? : Finally, it seems that Stern's ideal Middle : East is fashioned after EW's own idealistic : vision of the Middle East. Since most, if not : all, of EW's characters are forged from some : actual historical individual, should I : assume,then, that Stern was created from EW's : interpretation of his own self? : Again, I appreciate the site you have created : and look forward to being a regular visitor. : Sincerely, : Joseph : : : : : : : :